Meter block connecter



Aug. 21, 1934- J. G. JACKSON ET AL METER BLOCK CONNECTER Original Filed July 22, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l WMAWHQQ W Aug. 21, 1934. J JACKSON 5 AL 1,971,185

METER BLOCK CONNECTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 22. 1951 7 an. C m.

45 to the terminals 2 and 10 respectively.

Patented Aug. 21, 1934 METER. BLOCK CONNECTER John G. Jackson and Clement W. Wolf, Detroit, M ch assignors to Square D Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Original application July 22, 1931, Serial No. 552,504. Divided and this application May 9,

1932, Serial No. 610,208

a 3 Claims. (Cl. 173 324) This invention relates generally to electrical equipment such as meter-test-block connecters and constitutes a division of our application filed July 22, 1931, bearing Serial No. 552,504.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of equipment embodying our invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation with the cover of the test block casing removed and showing parts of the meter broken away;

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the test block;

. Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the 5 line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the connecters;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 'I-'l of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings, A is an electric meter; B is a test block; and C are the connecting links embodying our invention. As shown, the meter A is of conventional design and is provided at one end with a terminal chamber 1 containing a plurality of laterally spaced terminals 2 having longitudinally extending outwardly opening sockets 3 in the outer ends thereof. The test block B is housed within a suitable casing 4 and includes the base 5 of insulating material, test links 6, '7, 8 and 9 respectively arranged in parallel relation on the front of the base, terminals 10 extending through the base at one end thereof in alignment with the links 6, 7, 8 and Qrespectively, a terminal 11 extending through the base and secured to the link 6 at one end thereof, a cross-over link 12 upon the back of the base and terminally connected to one of the terminals 10 and to the terminals 11, and cross-over links 13, 14 and 15 respectively upon the front of, the base-and terminally secured to the links '7, 8 and 9 respectively and to the three other terminals 10. The links C constituting the connecters extend through one end 16 of the casing 4 and are terminally connected As shown, these links C are stamped or pressed from sheet metal, preferably copper, and are flexible in nature. Each link C has a forked or bifurcated head 17 and has a substantially straight shank 18. Preferably the furcation 19 is in line with the straight shank 18 while the furcation 20 is offset laterally relative thereto. A sleeve 21 of insulating material surrounds each shank 18 from the head 1'? to a point adjacent 5 the end 22 or the shank.

In use the forked heads 1'7 straddle the terminals 10 and are detachably held thereon by nuts 23 threadedly engaging said terminals, while the ends 22 of the shanks are received within the sockets 3 and are held therein by set screws 24 threadedly engaging the terminals 2. To accomplish this connection the forked heads 1'7 may be secured first to the terminals 10 and the ends 22 of the shanks may then be inserted into the sockets 3 upon moving the test block casing 4 toward the terminal chamber 1 of the meter and may thereafter be secured in the sockets'3 by tightening the set screws 24. In this connection it will be noted that the links C are flat and the shanks 18 thereof have the same substantially square cross sectional area throughout their length, while the sockets 3 are circular in cross section throughout their length. As illustrated in Figure 5, the construction and arrangement of the parts is such that two longitudinal edges 30 and 31 respectively of the shanks are held by the set screws 24 in engagement with spaced-portions of the curved walls of the sockets 3.

Thus, clue to the arrangement just referred to and the fact that the connecters C are formed of relatively soft copper and are inherently flexible, it is possible to accommodate the spacing of the terminals, of meters to wider or narrower spacing of terminals of test blocks in a very simple manner.

Moreover, with the arrangement described it, is possible to make practically direct connection from the meter terminals to the test block terminals and this not only permits of ready installation of the connecters C therebetween but, as will be evident from the illustration, such arrangement greatly reduces the spacing required between the meter and the test block. In fact, when connecters such as C are used it is not only desirable but necessary to use the particular type of test block with cross-over features as shown herein to secure the relatively opposite positioning of block terminals to meter terminals of the same polarity and sequence.

It will also be noted that the forked heads 1'7 of the connecters provide sufficientlongitudinal adjustment for the connecters to permit them to straddle the test block terminals 10 without removal of the nuts 23. Thus the connection between the meter and test block may be made after both such parts have been mounted in place. Moreover, by affixing the connecters to either the test block terminals 10 or to the meter terminals 2 either the meter or the test block may be connected to the other after it has been previouslymounted in place. Thus the connecters C enable the meter and test block to be connected together efiiciently, easily and quickly.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature vention will be readily apparent, we desire to have it understood that we do not limit ourselves to what is herein shown and described and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. Means for electrically connecting laterally spaced terminal sockets of a meter to laterally spaced terminal posts of a test block comprising a plurality of connecting members, each member being a relatively short substantially straight stamping having an elongated narrow portion for insertion into one of the terminal sockets of the meter and a flat offset portion provided with an opening for the reception of a terminal post of the test block, said opening being ofiset relative to the longitudinal median line of said nar-. row portion so that the opening may be positioned upon one side or the other of the axis of the meter terminal socket to accommodate different positions of said terminal posts relative to the axes of said sockets.

2. Means for electrically connecting laterally spaced terminal sockets of a meter to laterally spaced terminal posts of a test block comprising a plurality of connecting members, each memher being a relatively short substantially straight stamping having an elongated narrow portion for insertion into one of the terminal sockets of the meter and a flat offset portion provided with and advantages of the inan opening for the reception of a terminal post of the test block, said opening being offset relative to the longitudinal medianline of said narrow portion, so that the opening may be positioned upon one side or the other of the axis of the meter terminal socket, and said elongated narrow portion being formed of relatively soft material so that it may be bent to accommodate different positions of said terminal post relative to the axes of said sockets.

3. A meter connecter comprising a relatively short substantially straight stamping having an elongated narrow portion for insertion into a cylindrical meter terminal socket, and a relatively wide flat offset portion having an opening therein adapted to receive the binding post of-a meter test block, said opening being offset relative to the longitudinal median line of said narrow portion so that the opening may be positioned upon one side or the other of the axis of the meter terminal socket to accommodate different positions of said terminal post relative to the axis of said socket, said narrow portion hav ing longitudinally extending edges at opposite sides thereof engageable with the curved walls of said socket and provided between said edges with a substantially flat surface adapted to be engaged by a pressure producing member, the thickness of said stamping throughout its length being substantially equal to the width of the narrow portion aforesaid, and said stamping being formed of relatively soft material whereby it may be bent to align the portions aforesaid with the meter terminal socket and test block binding post, respectively.

JOHN G. JACKSON. CLEMENT W. WOLF.

Ill 

